It’s not perfection but the authenticity of believers that convince others that God and Christianity are real and legit. By the grace of God, the apostle Paul and others proved themselves as genuine followers of Jesus (1 Thessalonians 1:5). Here are three marks of a legit Christian:

REAL TALK: Who we say Jesus is 

Jesus once asked His disciples who people thought He was. Some considered Him a great prophet, yet their ideas did not fully capture the truth about Jesus. Peter, however, answered correctly: “You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God” (sent by God to be King and Deliverer, and implied that person is God Himself). His correct conclusion about the deity of Jesus is not simply an intellectual exercise — it is the revelation of God’s Spirit when He opens our spiritual eyes. 

Is Jesus God or not? Jesus declared that He is God (John 8:24, 58; John 10:30). Furthermore, Jesus identified Himself as the “Alpha and the Omega… the Almighty” (Revelation 1:8). He was worshipped by people who encountered Him (Matthew 2:11; 14:33; 28:9, 17; Luke 24:52; John 9:38); if He was just a good man, He would have told these people not to worship Him! His disciples also testified that Jesus was God (John 1:1,14; 20:24; Acts 20:28; Titus 2:13). Finally, Jesus’ sacrifice proves He is God (1 John 2:1-2). Only the sacrifice of a pure, unblemished Lamb of God is acceptable to God for the payment of our sins.

REAL TALK means that with full conviction we declare Jesus is the Savior, Lord, King, and Master of our lives! This is to be lived out moment by moment by the power of the Spirit.

REAL THINK: What we set our minds on

Peter rebuked Jesus when Jesus was warning his disciples of His suffering, death on the cross, and resurrection, but Jesus sharply corrected Peter for setting his mind on man’s agenda instead of God’s (Matthew 16:21-23). Peter was setting his mind on what is temporal, not the eternal things which are most important to God. We are to set our minds on things above, not things on earth (Colossians 3:1-2).

Are we hungry for God and His Word? When we read our Bibles, we must think of it as having a private, uninterrupted time with the Creator and Sustainer of the universe! Are we burdened for the souls of people? We need to look at people through the eyes of Jesus. Do we pray for people? Do we take advantage of “divine appointments” or opportunities to tell others about the gospel (Ephesians 2:8-10)? The Word of God tells us to “go and make disciples” because people are important to God.

REAL THINK means that we set our minds on what is most important to Jesus. 

REAL WALK: How we live our lives

The Bible says that we bring the aroma of Jesus into this world — what an amazing description of legit Christians! Jesus taught His disciples how to authentically live as His followers (Matthew 16:24):

• Deny ourselves (disregard, despise, disown): be servants to others, and even be a “slave” of all (Mark 10:43-44).  

• Take up your cross: In the time of Christ, anyone carrying a cross is a “dead man walking”. Our old self must die, crucified with Christ (Colossians 3:5). 

• Follow Jesus (to let Him lead): Jesus knows where He is going and where He wants to take you (1 John 2:6). To “walk” like Jesus is to live like Him as we revealed in His Word and through His people. 

REAL WALK means we follow the steps of Jesus by being Christlike. 

There is nothing that will profit us in this world in comparison to the infinite and eternal value of our souls. This is both a warning and an encouragement to us: a warning that we should walk with Jesus, and an encouragement that following Him is worth it. 

Are we real, legit Christians? Let us live by REAL TALK, REAL THINK and REAL WALK for the glory of God!

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LAST WEEK’S MEMORY VERSE

Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me. (Matthew 16:24)